Sunday’s loss against a direct opponent, Cagliari, cost Giovanni Stroppa his job as Crotone announced on Monday that he has been relieved from his duties. They are in last position and have been defeated in the last six matches. The club did not immediately name a replacement, but Serse Cosmi is expected to be apppointed by the end of the day, Tuttomercatoweb and Gianluca Di Marzio report. They will face Atalanta away Wednesday.
Stroppa was first hired by the Squali in the summer of 2018 and then sacked in October, but he returned on the bench two months later following Massimo Oddo’s dismissal and stayed on up to this point. He led them to the promotion from Serie B to Serie A last season, finishing second behind Benevento.
The Pitagorici were initially linked to Cristian Bucchi but could not reach agreement on the contract. Cosmi will sign a deal until the end of the season and will be joined by former defender Nicolas Spolli, who is poised to return as new club manager.
Cosmi is back on a Serie A bench nine years removed from his last stint at Siena. He managed Ascoli, Venezia and Perugia in his last three stops in the second division, with little success. In the top league he also guided Perugia, Livorno and Palermo. Crotone will likely look for a younger coach in the summer and they have reportedly reached out to Daniele De Rossi in the past.
The Rossoblù sit at the bottom of the table, eight points behind the 17th-placed Torino, which have played one fewer game. They have collected just 12 points so far, defeating Benevento, Spezia and Parma, tying with Juventus, Torino and Udinese and losing 18 times.